Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Emails enquiring for the Fantastic Four came fast and furious after their adoption notice went up on the Cat Welfare Society adoption bulletin. But we were very selective - we wanted to make sure that the kitties go to good homes and responsible owners who would give them a forever home and take care of them, in sickness and in health.

Two potential adopters were interviewed and short-listed. But BOTH parties decided to back out just before the viewing session. The first potential adopter, a sweet Malay lady, found an abandoned kitten and decided to keep it instead of adopting our kittens, fair enough; the second potential adopter, an expat lady, decided that she and her partner needs more time to settle down before getting a pet. OK, at least they were serious about adopting a pet and actually gave it some considered thought.

The other interested adopters just didn't make the cut. Some had wanted our kittens to replace the cats that they've "lost". One insisted that cats must be let out of the house to roam as it is "in their genes". Another even dictated that she wants the cats ASAP without even asking me some basic questions about the kittens. One tried too hard to impress me about how much he know about keeping cats and that backfired on him (Sorry dude, you just didn't come across as real). And a couple of those who emailed me were young kids who didn't even have their parents' consent to bring home a pet! SIGH.

If only the cats could sniff out the good adopters from the not-so-good ones, we'd have less headache!

Sunday, November 25, 2007

This is Dell, the two-month-old Tortie girl who was found injured and abandoned in a Dell computer box at the void deck in my mum's area.

Thank goodness she is recovering well from the injury - the vet said she was in pain as her stomach region was tender, most likely due to trauma. Someone probably hit or kicked her.

Dell bears more than a passing resemblance to Brownie Tortie, the kitten my mom picked up five months ago. They both have the same white patches from the neck area down to the belly. I agree with Calsifer that someone is "making" Torties in my mum's area. And dumping them too :(

Saturday, November 24, 2007

I took pains to make sure that the tub is not too small for Kootoo, so that he doesn't spilleth over, unlike poor Bamster from the Tipped Ear Clan ;P

Anyway, I've got plenty to update. My sister has decided to keep the Fantastic Four. It had been tough finding good adopters this time round. Guess we had been rather picky too. Will talk about this in another post later.Yet another kitten has found its way into my sister's care. Somebody had kicked/injured a 2-3 month old Tortie girl and then dumped her in a box at the void deck of my mom's block. The poor thing is in pain and is passing out blood in its pee and poo. Vet prescribed some antibiotics. Hope the little one will pull through. Will try and post story and pixs tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Kittens have no problems when it comes to finding adopters. We all know this.

The Fantastic Four are a precious bunch of kittens and we want to look for a responsible adopter who is able to look after the kiddos for life, in sickness and in health. It will most certainly break our hearts should anything happen to the Fantastic Four.

So dear potential adopters, while I thank you for the interest you have shown in the Fantastic Four, I beseech you to ask yourself: Are you the one who can provide a good and forever loving home for the cats? It is not as simple as it seems.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

I guess I should be "glad" - the number of cats that were "humanely destroyed" at the SPCA in FY06/07 went down by 9.4%, compared to FY05/06. Still, the thought of 4,543 cats being put to sleep (PTS) just because they were found to be a "nuisance" depresses me -- a lot.

Kootoo: Huh? Who says we are a nuisance? You people who dump your unwanted flyers and mailers at the void deck are the real nuisance! Four legs good, two legs baaaad!

SPCA's latest annual report also showed that cat adoptions went up by 12.5% - 403 lucky cats found homes in FY06/07 compared to 358 in the preceding year.

Muffin: We are a good companion in any home - HDB or otherwise. We are quiet, fastidiously clean and do not caterwaul after being de-mojoed. And hullo, we are DOMESTIC, NOT nomadic!

A quick check of AVA's annual reports also pointed to a "positive" trend - the number of cats impounded (with the vast majority being PTS) by the AVA in the last 3 years has been decreasing steadily. There were 4,790 cats impounded in FY 06/07, a 15% drop compared to FY05/06, and a decrease of 17.6% against the 5,810 reported in FY 04/05.

So what do all these figures mean? I certainly hope the latest statistics show that Singaporeans are now more aware of animal welfare and the proper management of community cats; that more people realise that culling is only an easy way out, an inhumane act which serves no purpose except to achieve a quick-fix "solution" in the short-term.

Milo: Have mercy -- love us, not hurt us!

But I am being rather optimistic here. The road ahead to greater awareness and tolerance is fraught with ceaseless difficulties. When people who cannot see beyond themselves continue to be self-seeking, and bring up a generation of self-serving, selfish children, the hope for a more compassionate and caring society dims.